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April 1, 2016

Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman | When a nerd falls in love

AdorkableBy Cookie O'GormanReleased on March 31, 2016283 pagesDebut, Young Adult, RomanceThis book was provided to me from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. I swear on my bookshelf that this has not affected my opinion of the book.

Summary from Goodreads: Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she's done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There's only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally's best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He'd do anything for Sal--even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she's "more than pretty," and expertly kissing her at parties.The problem: Sally's been in love with Becks all her life--and he's completely clueless.This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?

Review

Imagine puppies dressed up as Princess Lea and Yoda and then you have the essence of this book. It is equal parts cute and aw-worthy, but definitely still nerdy. I liked O'Gorman's take on the whole fake boyfriend trend. The trope can easily be overdone and cliche, but nothing like that was prevalent in Adorkable. Sally was an unique main character with a upbeat voice that I loved from the beginning of the novel. Her journey from a self-conscious nerd with a forbidden crush to a confident nerd with a boyfriend was remarkable and relatable. Sally and Becks' relationship was fresh and just so gosh darn cute. There was the perfect mix of attraction, angst, and admiration that created an amazing backdrop for the romance of the book. O'Gorman kept me hanging until the last page of the book, until I could finally let out a sigh for the blossoming young couple that I was rooting throughout the entire novel. The romance in Adorkable was slow-burning, but definitely worth the wait. True to the novel's title, there were a ton of literature, movie, and TV show references that will make your inner fangirl squeal with delight. Practically every popular fandom was mentioned, including Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Men, and more! All of the nerdy action that your fandom heart desires. Surprisingly, there was also quite a bit of interesting sport action, specifically soccer, that impressed me. The sport element to the plot perfectly reflected the atmosphere of high school athletics and how a community really rallies around sports. The sporty aspects of Adorkable made it more dynamic than I was expecting.While I completely adored the main romance in the novel, the secondary romances, if I can even call them that, were sub-par. I do not know why Sally had to go on so many dates throughout the novel and have so many different guys fawning over her. It is just not realistic to have a different mystery date every night. The guys she went on dates with were also stereotypical and two-dimensional as well. I would have liked more substance to her dates.I am also disappointed that Sally never got closure with her father. Their relationship started off toxic in the novel, but it never really progressed. I understand that she was upset about him cheating on her mother and everything. I would be angry at my father if I was in Sally situation. But, Sally and her father fell into the familiar YA trap of uninvolved parents. Sally's father could have been used to show a lesson about the strength of family and the power of forgiveness, but all that it provided was unnecessary angst and bitterness. I just would have loved to see some progress between Sally and her father.Adorkable was exactly the fluffy, cute, and slightly dorky contemporary that I expected. The romance did not follow the trope of fake boyfriend novels, instead it forged a new path for nerd girls everywhere. While the family situation was not handled as well as I would have hoped, the book was still enjoyable.

About the Author

Cookie O'Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.